Federal case could increase pay for Missouri judges

Missouri's judges could be due a multi-million-dollar pay increase if their counterparts in the federal government win a court case seeking a retroactive pay hike.

The potential pay increase could affect more than 400 judges in Missouri. It even could lead to pay increases for dozens of full-time local prosecutors.

That's because of a 2010 decision by a Missouri salary commission links the pay of Missouri judges to that of federal judges. And a separate Missouri law links the salaries of full-time prosecutors to those of associate circuit judges.

The administrative arm of Missouri's court system has prepared a budget request for the next year estimating the potential judicial pay increase could cost nearly $6.7 million.

Counties could collectively be on the hook for an additional $1 m million for prosecutors.